The iPad is now available in more than 30 countries around the world and there are millions of users out there enjoying their high tech gadget. Unfortunately, the iPad’s popularity has brought out the worst in some people who want what they don’t have. We’ve reported on several stories of thieves stealing iPads and now we’ve got another instance of illegal activity to tell you about. According to The Wall Street Journal, 14 Chinese housewives were recently detained while attempting to smuggle iPads and mobile phones into China.

The Guangzhou Daily reported that customs officials in the southern city of Shenzhen caught the women with 88 iPads and 340 mobile phones valued at 950,000 yuan, or about $143,000. The women were earning a fraction of that, roughly $30, as they tried to carry their loot across the border. A customs official was reported as saying, the smugglers are attempting to “avoid detection by recruiting Chinese residents without criminal records to carry the goods.”

The iPad launched in China in September, but only the WiFi model. Customers interested in a 3G version must import their device and then pay a tax on the iPad when it’s carried into the country. Pretty ironic considering iPads are manufactured in China!